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Director of buildings resigns; Lisbon board weighs splitting role, town partnership and contractors
Summary
Director of buildings and grounds Brian Mclow announced his resignation effective April 24; the board discussed options — a single full‑time director, splitting into facilities manager plus lead custodian, contracting services, or asking the town to hire a shared facilities director — and scheduled follow‑up with interim consultant Wes Green Leaf.
Brian Mclow submitted a letter announcing his resignation as director of buildings and grounds at Lisbon Central School effective April 24, 2026. In his letter he wrote, “I have enjoyed working with the team and contributing to the school's projects and goals,” and said he was willing to assist during a transition.
The board spent more than an hour debating how to replace him. Several members said the current workload effectively combined two jobs and recommended rethinking the role rather than simply replacing it one‑for‑one. “I think we need a facilities manager and that's not somebody who shovels snow or directs custodian activities,” Board member Ann said, arguing the district needs someone focused on building systems — electrical, plumbing, heating, roofing and security — while custodial staff handle cleaning and daily tasks.
Board member Jonathan outlined financial implications of different approaches, noting that if the board retained the same single job classification it could trigger ongoing pension and benefit obligations, whereas splitting roles or hiring part‑time positions could yield savings. The board discussed several models on the table: a full‑time facilities director plus a part‑time maintenance role; two part‑time positions covering the duties now performed by one person; contracting out routine services (for example, sidewalk snow removal); or approaching the town to hire a municipal facilities director who would oversee several town buildings and thereby centralize capital needs.
Administrators said interim help is in place: a consultant referenced as Wes Green Leaf is available two days per week and on‑call through June, and he will inventory systems and provide written priorities and a projected equipment life‑cycle. Brian and trustees stressed that many systems are pneumatic and aging, which could require capital investment and make a part‑time director difficult in the near term.
The board agreed to collect additional data — job descriptions and salary benchmarks from comparable districts, written recommendations from Wes, and information on contracting options — and to reconvene for a focused meeting on May 4 at 5:30 p.m. to make hiring decisions timed around summer custodial scheduling. No formal hiring decision was made at the April 20 meeting.
The district will also consider how any new structure would interact with existing union job descriptions and supervisor roles. Board members emphasized they want clarity about who would schedule custodians, who evaluates union staff, and which duties are retained in‑house versus outsourced.
Next steps: an administrative/practical inventory from Wes; board review of job descriptions and comparable salaries; discussion with the town about possible shared services; and a May 4 follow‑up meeting to set advertising and hiring plans.
